Holt wants Saints to flourish on Premiership return

Captain Jason Holt has urged newly-promoted St Johnstone to show what they are capable of and “flourish” on their return to the Scottish Premiership.

Each of the previous three Championship winners – Dundee, Dundee United and Falkirk – went on to finish in the top six in their first season back in the Premiership.

Holt will lead Saints out for their league opener at home to Kilmarnock on Sunday.

“Obviously the teams that have come up in previous years have done fantastically well,” said the midfielder.

“You look at Falkirk last year, they have done amazing, and obviously that’d be great.

“But first and foremost, let’s be competitive in the league and see where we end up.

“I just want myself and the group of players to come up and showcase what we showed last year in the Championship.

“We know it’s a step up in quality, step up in opposition, so the challenge for the group is, can you go and do it again? Can you go and replicate the standards that we set last year?

“I obviously want all the boys to flourish in this league and show what they’re capable of.”